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This is one of those “local news stories” that probably would have remained local were it not for the numerous bizarre details involved. Last year, we learned that the offices of a small-town newspaper in Marion County, Kansas had been raided by the police. Records, computers, and phones had been seized. The police even raided the home of the editor of the paper, potentially leading to his elderly mother dying of a stroke shortly thereafter. This sounded like a blatantly unconstitutional action, but the police insisted they had reasonable grounds to conduct the raid. Yet the details of what prompted the action made little to no sense. Now, more than a year later, charges are being filed, but not against the newspaper. The charges are being brought against the former Marion County Police Chief, Gideon Cody. Even now, however, it doesn’t sound as if the charges being brought are all that serious. (NBC News)
Two special prosecutors said Monday they will file a criminal obstruction of justice charge against a former Kansas police chief who directed warrant searches of a publisher and his newsroom over its retrieval of public information.
In a 124-page report summarizing the findings of their investigation, the special prosecutors, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett and Riley County Attorney Barry Wilkerson, indicate that the staff of the newspaper that was raided, the Marion County Record, committed no crimes.
